The Secret Life of Severus Snape
by Stephiebob22
Summary: Hermione is about to receive a mysterious gift: a gorgeous fashion ring that is about to change Hermione's future - or her past - forever. What does this have to do with a certain potions professor? "Best of luck to you, Miss Granger." ::This is a *very* non-traditional time travel fic. Full summary and important story notes inside.::
1. Prologue

**SUMMARY:**

**Hermione is about to receive a mysterious gift: a gorgeous fashion ring that is about to change Hermione's future—or her past—forever. What does this have to do with a certain potions professor, and what is it he wants from her? Hermione is about to embark on a brand-new adventure, just after the last had finally ended. This time, she'll face questions about her own purpose, questions she never thought she'd have to ask herself. Hopefully Albus's parting words to her reached Fate's ears: "Best of luck to you, Miss Granger."**

**DISCLAIMER: **While I can claim ownership to many things, these characters are not among them. JK Rowling is nice enough to let us play with them. Her Kindergarten teacher must have been really good—she's great at sharing! :D

And JK, I promise to put them back where they belong when I'm done! ;)

**NOTES:**

**In this fic:**

**- Assume that Hermione's friends do not have a nickname for her (because she doesn't have one in the books)**

**- The use of Time-Turners and other means of traveling through time have no affect on the aging of the person using them (i.e. Hermione has not aged an extra year because of her use of the Time-Turner in her 3rd year; JK gave us no indication that this happened, and assuming that time travelers don't age whilst doing so works better for the plot line of this fic)**

**- Hermione and Ron never kissed during the battle of Hogwarts—they hugged instead (I know, a little cheesy, but again, that will work better for the story)**

**- Music is serving as inspiration for this story, so there will be a lot of lyrics included. If you're interested in listening to the songs while reading the chapters that contain them, you can scroll to the bottom of the chapter to see which songs are included. I'm putting the acknowledgements at the end of those chapters in case there are some readers who don't want the spoilers before they read the chapter.**

**Also, in this story, when script is underlined, it denotes a direct quote from the books. (As in, I don't own those words; JK does.)**

* * *

Hermione Granger always considered herself a horrible judge of character—as far as first impressions were concerned, that is.

When she started grammar school, she became close friends with three girls who, two years later, ditched her because she cared more about books than boys. She had obviously chosen the wrong girls to hang out with.

When she came across Pansy Parkinson in Diagon Alley the first time she went there to buy school supplies, she thought the girl kind and intelligent. At Hogwarts, she discovered that the girl was in fact a bigoted jerk who couldn't give a flying flip about academics.

The first time she met Neville, her immediate impression was that he was a little slow, but over the first few weeks of classes, she came to realize that he was just often nervous and somewhat clumsy.

She had thought Harry and Ron insensitive idiots with no redeeming qualities—this was the misconception for which she was most grateful in her life.

Similar things could be said about her first impressions of Quirrell, Lockhart, Remus (or second impression, in his case, when she thought he was aiding a murderer), Sirius, Draco in sixth year (surprisingly he was as much a victim as his target), and even Albus Dumbledore.

But the one man that most stumped her personality-appraising skills was Severus Snape.

At the Welcoming Feast of her first year, seeing him sulking at the head table, Hermione had thought him a depressing figure. After his introductory speech in their first potions' class, she knew he was intelligent and passionate, and she assumed her first impression was incorrect. Soon she found that he was biased and somewhat cruel. However, she hadn't seen the incident in Harry's first Quidditch match coming; that was for sure. She had acted impulsively and accused him of attempting to murder his own student. After Quirrell had died and Voldemort had been delayed, and Hermione learned that Snape had in fact been attempting to _save_ Harry, she decided never to doubt his intentions again.

To this end, she spent the next few years of school defending the brooding, mysterious potions master to her friends and classmates. He might be a right git, but they didn't know why, and he had certainly shown that he was on their side, even if he wasn't nice or happy about it. Besides, there was always something in his eyes—when he looked at and talked to Hermione specifically, anyway; she didn't know if anyone else could see it—that suggested some other emotions besides anger and hatred. He just couldn't be as bad as he made himself to appear.

Her vehemence in defending him through the years, she thought, might have contributed to her difficulty accepting his guilt in Dumbledore's death/murder. However, she was more inclined to think him innocent simply because her instinct told her he was guilty. After all, her instinct had led her astray _many _times previously. She was certain he was…well, maybe not _innocent_, but certainly less guilty than others thought him to be.

That was why she was so pained and flustered when they discovered him in the Shrieking Shack with Voldemort. Hermione felt her heart wrench and twist within her, knowing that her respected potions' master (and, to be honest, her former school-girl crush) was lying on the floor, bleeding enough to kill an elephant let alone a 165-pound man.

And then, when Harry was ending it all, Hermione discovered that her faith in the man had truly been justified. When they finally got a moment to rest, the deaths of so many brave and innocent people flooded Hermione's heart. She listed them in her mind over and over: Sirius, Remus, Nymphadora, Fred, Ted Tonks, Severus, Dobby, Hedwig, Mad-Eye, Colin, and dozens of others.

_So much death_, she thought, as she sat in the Great Hall, listening to those around her celebrating the downfall of Voldemort and mourning their many losses. She didn't hesitate for a moment when Harry left, grabbing Ron and escaping with her best friends.

* * *

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth," said Harry. "And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

The trio was about to head back out of the Headmaster's office when Dumbledore's portrait called out once more. "Actually, I wonder if, Miss Granger, you'd be willing to do one more, small thing before you depart?"

Hermione was exhausted, but she couldn't deny this man anything. He had worked so hard for so many years to keep her and her friends alive. The least she could do was a small favor. "Certainly, Professor. What can I do for you?"

"If you would grab both Harry's Invisibility Cloak and your marvelous beaded bag, I'd like you to follow me into Severus's private office." At the quizzical look on Harry and Ron's faces, Dumbledore continued. "You'll have the cloak back in a few minutes, Harry. I just have a small job for Hermione to do, and then she will join you in Gryffindor Tower. Have a good night, boys." It was a clear dismissal, so the two boys trudged up to their old dormitory without the third of their group, leaving the Invisibility Cloak with Hermione. Hesitantly, she followed Dumbledore's portrait-self through a door behind the massive desk.

"Professor Dumbledore, what exactly is it that you need me to do?"

Indicating the desk at the right-hand side of the room, he requested, "Please take the seat behind Severus's desk, Miss Granger." Puzzled, she did as asked before turning to face the landscape that Dumbledore was currently occupying.

He sighed before continuing. "Miss Granger, there is a small package in the top right drawer for you, from Severus. Only you and he are able to open that drawer, and no one is permitted in the room with you when you do so. Please take out the package and open it. All will be revealed afterwards."

When she had opened the drawer, utterly perplexed at what Professor Snape could possibly have to give to _her_, she pulled off of the little box the nondescript, brown wrapping paper (which had _Hermione Granger_ written across it in elegantly-scrawling script that she recognized as belonging to her professor). Pulling off the lid to the box, she saw the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever encountered. A silver ring with a ruby surrounded by a silver snake with two tiny emeralds for eyes sat within the black velvet interior of the box. Gasping softly, Hermione took it out to examine the ring more closely.

As she looked the ring over, Dumbledore continued speaking. "Miss Granger, my next instructions may seem odd, but I must insist that you follow them. As I said previously, everything will be revealed to you eventually. I suggest that you don the Invisibility Cloak before putting on the ring. And once the ring is on, _it must not come off _until I have expressly given permission! Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione nodded, saying seriously, "Absolutely, Professor. It won't come off."

"Good." His painted eyes twinkled at her as a mischievous smile graced his lips. "Go ahead and don the Cloak and then the ring." As she did so, she heard his whisper of, "Best of luck to you, Miss Granger."

As soon as Hermione had the ring on the middle finger of her left hand, the room around her vanished into suffocating blackness.

* * *

**The book quote is, of course, from the very end of the last chapter of **_**Deathly Hallows**_**.**


	2. Ch 1: 11 January 1960

Hermione landed inside an unfamiliar living room. Luckily, there was no one in sight, or her equilibrium problems would have alerted them to her presence. As Dumbledore had insisted on her using the Invisibility Cloak, she doubted that she was meant to be seen.

Softly, she edged her way around the room, trying to find a clue as to why she was in this particular spot. She noticed a calendar on the wall that was heavily laden with red ink. Curious, she walked carefully up to the calendar to study its messages.

The first thing that caught her eye was the month. It was early January, suggesting that she'd traveled through time. Unsure of whether she had moved to the future or the past, Hermione looked for clues around the living room. The room seemed to suggest a Muggle home, in that there wasn't a container of Floo powder by the fireplace, and nor did the figures in the photographs move.

Interested, Hermione moved to the mantel to more closely study the photographs. She noted that the pictures that seemed the least worn appeared to be a style of photograph common in the 1950s and '60s. Looking around more thoroughly, Hermione noted that the only photos that were different seemed older.

_I can't be that far back in time…can I?_

Staring more intently at the subjects in the photos, something started niggling at the back of Hermione's memory. There was something highly familiar about the face of the woman in the wedding photo, and though she was sure she had never seen nor met the woman before, Hermione couldn't help but feel that she should know her. The man next to her had on a very-recognizable, flat, emotionless expression….

_These can't be…. Are these Severus Snape's _parents_?!_

Hermione walked back to the calendar and looked more closely. The days up through the seventh of January had been marked through, and there was a circle on the eleventh with the note, _Eilie's Due Date_. Hermione smiled softly at the affectionate nickname. Somehow, the reality of the woman's pet name didn't quite fit with what Hermione had heard of Tobias and Eileen Snape, but she was happy to have been wrong.

Confused as to why she was here if there was no one to observe, Hermione decided to explore the remainder of the house. Just as she walked into the entrance hall, however, the front door opened. Tobias Snape held the door for his wife, who entered carrying the precious cargo that was Severus Snape. The new mother walked tiredly into the living room and sank onto the couch. Tobias brought a few bags into the house before lighting a fire in the living room and joining his wife on the sofa.

Very carefully, not even daring to breathe, Hermione leaned over Eileen's lap to study the baby. He was certainly the sweetest child she had ever laid eyes on—not that she'd seen many babies in her time, but infant Severus Snape was quite the adorable bundle. Her curiosity satisfied, Hermione backed quietly away so as not to alert either parent—or the baby; _that'd be just like Snape to blow my cover, even in his infancy_—to her presence.

"He's absolutely beautiful. Don't you think so, Toby?"

"Hmm. He'll be a fine man one day, Eilie." Toby stood and leaned over the fireplace. His stance reminded Hermione so much of his son that she almost wept in grief at his loss, but she stifled her cries just in time.

Eileen spoke again. "I wish our parents could have been alive to see him."

Tobias snorted. "Mine wouldn't have cared to see him, and yours would have addled him. You were lucky you escaped from your childhood as normal as you are."

Hermione was puzzled, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as Eileen continued the conversation. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps we should tell your sister? I just think that we should…you know…celebrate with someone."

Heart wrenching, Hermione realized that this little family had almost no one else in the world. It was just the three of them.

_I suppose that it's no wonder Snape never had many friends._

The ring on her finger gave five long, deep pulses of heat before going cold once again. Hermione was curious, but the conversation soon took back her attention.

After a short silence, Toby said, "Yes, I suppose I could write to her. Enough of this, though. My son needs to be put to bed, and you need your rest as well. Go on, go on, off to bed!" His tone was commanding but not unkind. He ushered the young mother and her babe up the stairs and returned to brooding over the fireplace.

When Eileen and Severus were out of sight, Toby started pacing and muttering to himself. "Poor sod. Why, _why_ did I let Eilie talk me into having a baby? The world doesn't need another Snape…. Poor little Severus is going to have a difficult and practically meaningless life, just like the rest of us." His voice was filled with deep emotion and regret. Hermione wondered if this proud man suffered from bouts of depression. It seemed to be in line with what he was saying, and from what she knew of Snape's home life in the near future, it would make sense that some sort of mental illness gripped the man and changed him from the loving-but-slightly-indifferent man before her to the abusive idiot that he would be in the years ahead. There was another burning in her hand, a constant and low one this time. For some reason, Hermione decided to count the seconds until it passed.

_Twenty-seven…twenty-eight…twenty-nine…thirty—_

When she reached thirty, the world suddenly lurched around her again. The last thing she had seen was Tobias scratching the calendar days through the eleventh and heading for the stairs.

* * *

**I know these first two chapters are rather short, and the next will be, as well. The chapter lengths will be generally inconsistent throughout the story because each chapter for quite some time is going to be a single "visit" of Hermione's in Severus's past. My plan is to only ever post a short chapter when I can post at least two chapters; that way, you guys (hopefully) won't be disappointed. :D**


	3. Ch 2: 12 May 1962

**I just have to say that you guys are awesome. It's only been two days, and my inbox has already flooded with story followers, reviews, and favorites. As I try to send **_**thank-you**_**s to anyone who reviews, I'll mention here how happy I was to get the two anonymous reviews. The encouragement is much appreciated!**

**Also, this chapter is super short, but there is another going up in a few minutes, so don't panic! :D  
**

* * *

Slightly disoriented, though better prepared than the time before, Hermione landed once again in the Snape house. This time she was at the top of the stairs. She could hear Severus, likely a year or two old at this point, banging some sort of toy against something. Silently, Hermione crept down the hall to watch him.

The baby Severus had only gotten cuter in the years between now and her last visit. His dark, straight hair flopped about his head as he moved, about three inches in length. He was a little wobbly on his feet, so Hermione guessed that he was between two and three years old at this point. She wandered into the room, looking for some indication of the date. There was a newspaper—a Muggle one that Hermione guessed one of his parents had left there—lying on a desk in the corner of Severus's room. It was dated 12 May 1962. He would be nearly two and a half years old, then.

Hermione sat herself down on the floor next to the desk and watched as Severus played. He really was an ingenious child. For two years old, he seemed to know a lot about building blocks and how to stack them without toppling them over.

The eighteen-year-old lost herself in her thoughts while her former—future?—potions master played on the floor in his bedroom. Distantly, Hermione could hear a slight disagreement occurring between his parents, and she assumed that they had left him upstairs to shield his impressionable ears.

_Why am I here,_ she thought, _and what is it that Snape wants me to see?_ At length, she decided that she was asking herself the wrong question. _If he had merely wanted me to _see _something, he would have left me memories, just as he did for Harry. No…. I'm supposed to _do_ something. But…what?_

_What can I possibly do for Severus Snape?_

She was broken from her reverie when little Severus began to cough in earnest. A few moments before, he had put a toy in his mouth—as toddlers are prone to do—but he hadn't ever taken it back out.

Hermione began to panic. She wasn't sure if she should summon his parents somehow (_But how?_) or if she should use her magic and fix the problem on her own. Realizing that the little boy was already struggling for air, she knew that there was no time to call anyone else to him. She pulled her wand out, pointed it at the boy, and whispered, "_Deicio_!" The toy whizzed from his mouth, and he continued to cough, but this time the effort yielded air. Hermione cast a soothing charm on the boy to ease his breathing back to normal.

She silently Summoned the toy and pocketed it as her ring pulsed with heat five times—she now suspected that this was meant to inform her that she had five minutes before departing. Hermione couldn't have said why she felt the need to keep the toy on her person instead of stashing it in her beaded bag, which was also stuffed in a jean pocket. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had just _saved Snape's life_. The mental image of him bleeding out over the worn floor boards of the Shrieking Shack swam in front of her eyes, bringing tears with it.

A steady heat surrounding her left middle finger reminded her that she would be leaving soon. Her final thought before being wrenched again through time dealt with her previous question to herself.

_What can I possibly do for Severus Snape?_

_I can save his life…._

* * *

**I made up the spell that Hermione uses to save Severus from choking to death. I used Google Translate to put "dislodge" into Latin. It gave me quite a few options, but "deicio" sounded the most like a spell, so I chose that one.**

**I'm putting up the next chapter (another somewhat short one) now. The one after that will be much longer, I promise! :D**


	4. Ch 3: 3 March 1966

Hermione was much more graceful this time when she landed in the "present." This time the ring deposited her in a little copse of trees behind what she presumed was the Snapes' home. It was winter time, with a light dusting of sparkling snow covering the ground. Likely it was sometime in mid-morning.

Little Severus, now probably around six years old, sat, obviously distressed, on a stone bench against the backside of the house. A bush to the side of the bench blocked him from view of the lower-level windows and back porch. Hermione could hear the tones of a heated argument, amazed that his parents could be heard even from that distance, and through the closed and shuttered windows, no less.

Suddenly, little Severus put his head in his hands and sobbed violently. Hermione felt her chest tighten and her eyes water. Without thinking, she pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and hurried to his side.

Severus looked up and stopped sobbing, but tears still streaked down his cheeks. Smiling sadly and a little hesitantly, Hermione said, "Hello there."

"Hullo," he replied in a voice choked by tears.

"Can I sit with you?" At Little Severus's shrug, the eighteen-year-old sat down, keeping a good foot between herself and the raven-haired boy, reminding herself that he didn't know her and would likely be uncomfortable with her sitting too closely to him. "My name is Hermione. What's yours?"

After clearing his throat and wiping his tears on his ratty shirt sleeves, Severus turned to his companion and reached out his right hand. "Severus Tobias Snape. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"

Repressing a giggle, Hermione placed her hand in his and said, "Hermione Jean Granger. The pleasure is mine, I assure you, young Sir." She smiled brightly at him. In a shocking gesture of good breeding and gentility, Severus raised her hand delicately to his lips and placed a barely-there kiss on her knuckles. Hermione guessed that his mother, having been raised by a pureblooded wizarding family, would have instilled in her son proper manners when being introduced to ladies. Were it any other little boy, Hermione would have been shocked at his remembrance of such things, but this was Severus Snape, and Hermione guessed that he had always been especially bright. Severus released her hand, and the two sat in awkward silence for a moment or two.

At length, Hermione spoke again. "That's a rather nice name: Severus."

It was amazing to her how a six-year-old could manage an ironic grimace. "Father doesn't like it. He wanted me to be 'Tobias,' like him." He paused for a moment before dropping his gaze and saying, "Father doesn't like anything much."

When the tears started to streak again down his little face, Hermione reached out and drew her thumb across his cheeks to wipe the salt water away. "Severus, what's wrong?"

He looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you care?"

_He obviously isn't used to being able to trust people. I wonder if I'm the first person he's met other than his parents that can and _will_ talk to him._

She shrugged delicately. "I don't like to see people sad. If I can do something to fix it, I will. Now, tell me what's troubling you."

Little Severus sniffed again before saying, "I turned the cat green, and Mother told Father something that he didn't like. They're fighting now, and Father….Father hit me. And I think he hit Mum, too—or he will." The tears were streaming steadily and silently down his face now.

Hermione decided to venture a little further. "Your father didn't know that your mum's a witch, did he?"

With wide eyes, little Severus said, "You…you know Mum's a witch?"

Hermione answered with an almost-imperceptible pause, not wanting Severus to know that his question threw her off for a moment. "Well, if you turned the cat green, which made your mum tell your dad something he didn't like…. It sounds as if she already knew you would be a wizard, and if she wasn't a witch, there is no way that she'd know that." After a moment of debate with herself, Hermione continued. "I did all sorts of strange things when I was your age. My mum and dad didn't know anything about magic, because they can't do magic themselves, so they couldn't explain how I did all the things I did. When it was time for me to go to school to learn to be a witch, one of the teachers from the school had to come and explain to my parents what was going on."

Little Severus looked at her in awe and said, "You're a Muggleborn witch, aren't you?"

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Can…. Can you make Father stop beating Mum?" The "and me" wasn't spoken, but his eyes clearly held the remainder of his plea.

The sheer desperation and compassion of the plea on his mother's behalf and his willingness to sacrifice himself if it meant that his mother could be spared the physical pain worked together to break Hermione's heart. _No child should have to go through this, let alone one so young._

In that moment, Hermione Granger understood something very important about the world. When we act, whether that action be good or ill, it will have a profound impact on the future of many, many people. This little boy, who was abused in his youth, would grow up to fear trusting others, to exert his power and dominance in any situation that afforded him any amount of either of those things, and to hide from the world in fear that it would see his vulnerabilities.

_What can I possibly do for Severus Snape?_

_I can be his friend._

Coming back to the moment, Hermione looked sadly at Severus and said, "I'm afraid, Severus, that I cannot do that. I would if it were possible, but…I'm not going to be able to be around you and your mother all of the time. If I stopped your father today, he would just try again tomorrow, or some other time when I'm not with you or your mum." _Plus, I can't exactly let anyone know about my being here._ "All I can do is offer to be here for you when you need me, as often as I can. All I can do is be your friend."

The little boy thought for a few moments. Hermione worried that what she had said would be too much for his young mind to comprehend, but soon he was nodding. "I understand, Hermione. And…. I would love to be your friend." He smiled up at her timidly. "I've never had a friend before. What do I do?"

"Well," Hermione began, wondering what she could say, "you start by caring about the other person. You ask me questions about myself and my life, and you listen to the answers. Then I do the same for you. We can play games together, listen to music, talk about _anything_…. There really aren't limits to friendship. The most important thing, though, is to try to be nice and to care about each other."

Little Severus nodded, somehow understanding exactly what the older witch was trying to say.

A few moments passed in silence. Severus was the first to break it. "Hermione, you can do magic, right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Can you get me up to my bedroom without Mum and Father knowing? I'm not supposed to be outside, and they'll be angry again if they see me going back in."

Hermione explained the Invisibility Cloak to Severus, giving a demonstration when he was skeptical of its abilities. Then Hermione draped the Cloak over them both and led Severus silently (with the aid of a few charms) in through the back door and up to his bedroom.

"Hermione, are you going to sneak out?"

"Actually, I have a special ring that will take me where I need to go next." She showed the ring to him and explained that the snake was a symbol of Slytherin House, and that the ruby was the principle color of Gryffindor. Though she didn't tell him (as some things, when dealing with time, were better left unsaid), it occurred to her during her explanation that he was the Slytherin and she, the Gryffindor. She was intrigued, but there really wasn't time at that moment to debate over the possible implications of the choice of jewelry.

After a few minutes of chatting about her ring, it pulsed with heat five times. Hermione explained that this meant she would be leaving him in five minutes' time. "I promise, though, to be back when you need me. You never need to doubt me, Severus. I'll always be there for you." He nodded vigorously and caught her in a rib-crushing hug for a few moments. "Lay down, Severus, and try to sleep. I'll even sing you a lullaby if you'd like." He nodded his approval and settled into the covers.

Hermione had been told several times that she had a lovely singing voice. She hoped that Severus would agree, but she had always been a little insecure about it.

"'_Blackbird, singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird, singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free. Blackbird, fly. Blackbird, fly, into the light of the dark black night._'"

The beautiful little boy was fast asleep as Hermione finished her lullaby. Though she had only known Severus the child for a short time, he already held a piece of her heart. Wondering if this was what it felt like to be a mother, Hermione lovingly kissed his forehead and stroked his hair away from his face. Her ring began to burn steadily, and she prepared to leave.

Hermione tossed the Invisibility Cloak over herself just before she was whisked away from the end of little Severus's bed.

* * *

**The lyrics in this chapter are from the song "Blackbird" by the Beatles.**


	5. Ch 4: 22 June 1968

**My apologies to those of you to whom I promised this chapter almost 2 weeks ago. **_**The Hobbit**_** and more hours at work and getting ready for Christmas happened, and I kept putting this off. But here it is; hope it is worth the wait!**

* * *

Severus Snape lay in the grass of his backyard. The next day was his mother and father's anniversary, and they had gone away for a two-day-two-night trip—leaving him alone in the house. Tobias Snape had never truly forgiven his wife for not divulging her true history to him, but for some reason he seemed to lay most of the blame on his son. When Eileen suggested that they find a house-sitter to look after Severus while they were away, Tobias had claimed that, if the boy had magic, he could fend for himself for one night. Eileen didn't even bother to try pointing out that he was untrained and had no wand.

The unhappy couple had left about ten minutes previously. It was the middle of June, 1968, and it was _hot_. Severus had decided to lay outside and enjoy the sun for a while before going inside to listen to the radio, tuning into the stations that _he_ wanted to listen to, while he had the chance.

A few minutes after he had lain down in the grass, Severus's mind wandered to the puzzling young woman who, a little more than two years previously, had mysteriously appeared to him and claimed she would be his friend. That had been so long ago that he could barely remember her face. He knew she had visited a few times since then when he had nightmares, because he could remember her exquisite, ethereal voice coaxing him back to sleep on at least four or five occasions over the last two years. His vague mental image of her consisted of curly brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a broad smile.

Severus sighed. "I wish you were here, Hermione."

There was a soft giggle behind him, and a voice responded, "Your wish is my command, Severus."

Startled, Severus sat straight up and turned to face the source of the sound. His memory did justice to the curls atop her head, but her smile was so genuine and open that he almost doubted he'd ever seen it before.

_No one has _ever_ smiled at me like that before_, he thought. _What makes her so happy to see me?_

She walked up to him and sat herself down in the grass. "I didn't hear anyone in the house. Are you alone today?" Severus nodded and explained his situation. Hermione huffed in indignation and said, "That's ridiculous! I mean, at least you have _me_ to spend the time with you, but they don't know that!"

"Hermione," Severus said patronizingly, an ironic grimace on his face, "it's not like they spend much time with me on a regular day, anyway. I'm usually by myself except for at meals, and Mother left food for me to heat up for dinner tonight. I would have been perfectly fine alone."

Shaking her head, Hermione said, "But that's just it. Even if you could take care of yourself, you'd still be _alone_. You wouldn't have anyone to talk to, and you'd get lonely!"

Severus marveled at the woman before him. He'd never had anyone care about whether he was lonely or friendless, and this woman, whom he'd seen only twice including today, was indignant at his loneliness and insisting that she be his friend. _What does she want? And how does she know when I'm having a nightmare? And how does she get into the house?_ She had magic, but something still seemed off. In addition, it wasn't in his nature to accept that anyone would do anything without expecting something in return.

Somehow guessing the direction of his thoughts, Hermione said, "I don't have an angle, Severus. I promise. I just…I care about you. That's what friends do!"

Severus, though young, was highly intelligent, and he knew that she was not telling him something. "Who are you?"

The girl paled somewhat before regaining her composure. "Just a girl who wants to be your friend."

He shook his head vigorously. "No, Hermione, you're more than that. You just don't want to tell me. But if you don't, I'm going inside and leaving you out here. I won't spend time with someone who refuses to tell me the truth."

Sighing and looking down, Hermione began. "My name, as I said before, is Hermione Jean Granger. I'm a Muggleborn witch…who was born in 1979 and began Hogwarts in 1991. You, Severus Tobias Snape, were one of my teachers there. In 1998, I found a box that you'd left for me. In it was this ring—no note, and no explanation from you or anyone else why you left it to me. The moment I put it on, I was brought back in time to the day your parents brought you home from the hospital as a baby. When I left that time, I reappeared two years later and watched you playing in your bedroom. That day, I stopped you from choking on a small toy. The next time was when I introduced myself. I've been here a few times since you met me—I'm not sure how long it's been—but I've only been here at night since the day we met. I sang you back to sleep after your nightmares." Hermione didn't tell him that she had slept beside him for the first of those nights; at the time, she hadn't slept since the battle, and she wasn't able to fight her body's insistence that she rest. Hermione looked up at Severus cautiously before saying, "I have no idea why your future self brought me here, Severus, but I intend to find out. And then I will do everything in my power to do what you need me to do."

_She's from the future—_my_ future,_ he kept thinking. It repeated like a mantra in his head. _She knows what my life is going to be like…but will she tell me anything unless she thinks I need to know? I doubt it._

After a few silent moments, Severus finally spoke up. "So, these last two years since I first met you…all the time in between your visits…it was only a few moments for you?"

Satisfied with the direction of the conversation, Hermione nodded. "I arrived as soon as you settled in the grass. I wasn't sure where your parents were, and I think it's important that they don't know about me, so I stayed hidden. As soon as I heard you wish that I was here, I took off the Cloak. I assumed that, since you spoke my name aloud, your parents wouldn't be around."

He smiled ruefully and said, "Well, you were right on that count." After another moment, he said, "Father hates me, doesn't he?"

Hermione reached out tentatively and moved a strand of Severus's hair behind his ear. "No, actually, I don't think so. I think he feels both guilty and jealous."

Astounded, Severus looked at her as if she were crazy and said, "My father is _anything_ but jealous of me."

She shook her head. "I think he is. He feels guilty because he works so hard to provide for you and your mother, but it just isn't enough to give you everything he thinks you should have. And I think he's jealous of you because you have magic and he doesn't."

"No," he insisted, "Father hates anything to do with magic. He won't let Mother practice it around him, and he rarely ever speaks to me because he's afraid he'll scare me into using magic on accident." Sheepishly he added, "That might be because I accidentally slid a rug out from under his feet last autumn when he was about to come at me with his…."

"…. Yes?"

"Never mind," he mumbled.

Hermione just looked at him, asking with her eyes for him to trust her.

He sighed. "His…belt." There was an awkward moment of silence before he continued. "Anyway, the point is, he's not jealous of my magic."

She sighed again, this time in impatience. "Think about it, Severus. You have an advantage that he never had. You can protect yourself and your mother from an abusive father—something I'm sure he wished many a time that he could also do. You have a school that is desperate to have you and that is waiting to, in three years' time, take you away from a home that he sees as lacking. And to top it off, you have so many more opportunities for success in the world. He works a dead-end job, can't afford time off to get a better education, and is likely to remain exactly as he is for the rest of his life. _You_, on the other hand, are a boy of incredible intelligence, and you can have opportunities to excel in both the magical and Muggle worlds because of your parents' backgrounds. _Of course_ he's jealous of you!"

The raven-haired boy was stunned into silence. All that Hermione had said made sense to him intellectually, but he just couldn't fathom a Tobias Snape that was jealous of his eight-year-old son. The unlikely pair sat in silence—a companionable one, this time—for quite some time before Severus stood and invited Hermione into the house.

* * *

Severus had insisted on fixing lunch, which turned out to be chicken salad sandwiches. His mother had pre-prepared food for him before the couple had left, and Severus graciously split his servings so as to allow his guest to eat without drawing suspicion from his parents upon their return. During the meal, they talked about Muggle music that was contemporary—for Severus and his parents, anyway.

"I really enjoy the Beatles' music," Severus was explaining, "but I like a lot of other music, too. Some American stuff, even. My mother really likes Elvis, and I agree with her there. Have you heard any of his music?"

After swallowing, Hermione responded, "A few things. I really like the Turtles. Have you heard of them? I'm not sure whether they're popular yet…." She blushed at the reminder that she was not from Severus's time, but he paid the reference little notice. He asked what songs they sang, and when none of the titles sounded familiar, he requested a rendition.

"_A capella_?"

Severus shrugged. "Why not?"

She sighed again and bit her lip for a moment. Then she cleared her throat and sang, "'_You've got a thing about you. I just can't live without you. I really want you, Elenore, near me. Your looks intoxicate me, even though your folks hate me. There's no one like you, Elenore, really. Elenore, gee, I think you're swell, and you really do me well. You're my pride and joy, et cetera. Elenore, can I take the time to ask you to speak your mind? Tell me that you love me better._'"

Severus had smiled—_actually smiled!_—through Hermione's performance, and when she finished he gave her an enthusiastic round of applause. She smiled shyly but rolled her eyes and did as instructed when he playfully asked her to take a bow.

The pair had finished eating, so they went into the living room and turned on the radio, dancing around like crazy to the faster songs and singing with mock sincerity to the slow, romantic ones. They were having so much fun that they almost didn't notice dinner time. Finally, Hermione had to insist that they eat something before she earned the title "world's worst babysitter." Severus pouted, claiming that he wasn't a baby, but Hermione just laughed playfully and sat him in his chair in the kitchen. She heated their dinner up on the stove and served it, and they enjoyed their meal while continuing to discuss music.

After dinner, Hermione insisted that Severus bathe, and he insisted right back that she do the same using his parent's bathroom. After she heard the water running in Severus's bathroom, she gratefully followed her charge's instructions.

When both were bathed and redressed (Hermione in nightclothes that had been in her beaded bag), they sat on Severus's bed at the headboard, continuing their chat. At length, Severus asked, "You know so much about the music of my time. Aren't there any good songs that come out in the future?"

Hermione laughed again and said, "There's lots of good music from every era. My parents were born in the early fifties, and they raised me on the music of every generation from their birth till mine. I have a very eclectic taste in entertainment. I just haven't mentioned any songs from further down the line because I don't want to give too much away." She paused for a moment before muttering, "Who knows what could change if I say even one word wrong."

They were silent for some time, and Severus finally began to be sleepy. He had a double bed, and he didn't want Hermione to leave him alone, so he asked, "Will you sleep here, Hermione?" He waited a moment before saying shyly, "Please?"

She smiled down fondly at him, though he couldn't see it. "Sure, Severus. Lay down, and I'll sing you your lullaby."

He smiled. "Okay." As he settled under the covers, he blushed and said, "Thank you for coming to me when I had nightmares, Hermione."

Hermione smiled lovingly at him and brushed his fringe out of his face. "Anytime, Severus."

When they were both settled into the covers and the light was turned out, Hermione pulled Severus into her side and sang "Blackbird" for him once again.

He was fast asleep before the first verse was over.

* * *

When Severus woke the next morning, he knew immediately why there was a warm body pressed to his side. He had never slept in the same bed as anyone before—his parents weren't really the type to invite him in when he had nightmares—but cuddling with Hermione was comforting for this tender boy who had not had much human contact in his life. His head was resting on her shoulder and their arms were pressed together, but otherwise they had kept to their own sides of the bed.

Carefully, trying not to wake his friend, Severus lifted his head and sat up. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get to observe Hermione sleeping because she had already been awake. Blushing at the fact that he'd had her pinned to the bed, he mumbled, "Sorry."

Smiling brightly and giggling softly, Hermione said, "Don't apologize, Severus! You kept me warm." Severus decided that her grins could blind a guy if he wasn't careful. She bounced off the bed and said, "Now hit the loo and get dressed, young man. Breakfast is in ten minutes! We've got a big day ahead of us!" With that, she grabbed her bag off of the nightstand and darted towards his parents' bathroom once again. He hurried to follow her orders before bounding down the stairs.

* * *

"Did you have anything planned for today, Severus?" Hermione asked in between bites of cereal.

He shook his head as he swallowed. "No, why?"

With a glint in her eye and a mischievous smile, Hermione said, "Want to get out of the house?"

Severus was torn between excitement and trepidation. He wasn't really allowed out of the house on his own…but Hermione would be with him, so he wouldn't technically be by himself. Besides, he really hated this house, and it had been a while since he'd been able to go anywhere but his Muggle grammar school. Eventually, the look of anticipation on Hermione's face won him over and he said, "Okay. Where are we going?"

Smiling brightly again, Hermione said, "I want to take you into Muggle London, but I don't have any Muggle money on me. We'll have to make a stop in Diagon Alley to exchange some galleons into pounds. We can spend some time looking around there first. We can have lunch in Diagon Alley and dinner in Muggle London. Sound good?"

Now much more excited than before, Severus said, "Sounds _great_! I'll clear up the dishes!" Hermione laughed as he grabbed both their almost-finished bowls of cereal and bolted to the sink. She grabbed the milk and cereal boxes and put them away before going to the entryway with Severus to put on their shoes.

When they left the house, Hermione checked around her carefully before locking the door with magic and stowing her wand again. The pair walked down the street a little ways before ducking behind some large bushes. "Take my hand and hold it tightly, okay? This is going to feel a little weird, but it'll only last for a few moments." Severus nodded and did as instructed, almost cutting off Hermione's circulation. "Okay, Severus, not _quite_ that tightly…."

"Sorry…." he muttered.

"S'okay," Hermione insisted, laughing lightly. Taking her wand out again, Hermione thought determinedly of Diagon Alley and turned on the spot.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Severus was fascinated by the wizarding section of London. He had never been there before—Tobias wouldn't let Eileen take her son with her on the rare occasions that she was permitted to go herself—and he immediately decided that he'd never seen anything so amazing. His first stop was, of course, Quality Quidditch Supplies, but to Hermione's immense relief, they didn't stay long, as Severus only had interest in seeing the brooms in action instead of watching them sit on a shelf.

Their next stop was the post office. Severus had to hold his nose the entire time they were inside—after all, he had a large nose, and while that would be helpful in his potions work in the future, at the moment, it was quite a hindrance; the smell was both horrid and overwhelming. They didn't stay long.

A magical music shop called Sorcerous Serenades caught their eyes on the way to Flourish and Blotts, and they stopped in for a time. There was nothing that either Hermione or Severus recognized playing in the store on the magical gramophone, and what they did hear was rather dreadful. They stayed a little longer there, trying to find something good to listen to, but they gave up after ten minutes.

Hermione watched Severus's face carefully when they entered Flourish and Blotts—she knew that he was an avid reader like herself. She wasn't disappointed.

Severus was staring at the endless shelves around him with an expression of mixed awe and greed. It was obvious that he couldn't wait to get his hands on as many of the books as possible. Laughing, Hermione pulled him over to a shelf, and they spent more than an hour browsing and reading out loud to each other. Hermione was delighted when Severus took a special interest in the potions section of the store. She couldn't stop herself from buying him two small books that had especially impressed him. They were a little higher than beginner's level, but she assumed that his natural talent and burning desire to learn would be enough to help him grasp the concepts. The pair left the shop with regretful smiles, wishing they had more time to spend in the shop.

At Gringotts, Hermione exchanged about half of the galleons in her beaded bag to Muggle money. That was quite a lot, but Hermione reasoned that her British pounds were contemporary for herself and wouldn't necessarily be recognizable. _And the exchange rate is more favorable in 1968 than 1998,_ she reminded herself.

As soon as the friends exited Gringotts, Hermione grabbed Severus's hand again, smiled at him, and Apparated them to the sector of London she wanted to show him.

* * *

Both Severus and Hermione were in heaven! They were each entranced by the power of music—Hermione had always suspected that it was a form of magic in and of itself—and they had just found the most incredible record store.

For ages, they browsed through the vinyl, hunting for their favorites as well as songs the two proprietors suggested they look at. The shop was owned by an older man and his twenty-something son. The older man was currently in another room in the shop. Hermione and Severus both looked up from the records they were holding when they heard guitar music coming through from that room. They looked at each other, smiled, and walked to the door to investigate.

Severus peaked around the door first, and Hermione looked in over his head. _I won't be able to do that for too much longer. When he stops growing, he'll be more than a foot taller than me._ The older man, named George Miller, had taken a guitar off of the wall—which held about thirty different-sized guitars, acoustic and electric—and was tuning the strings. Severus looked up at Hermione with an excited smile, and Hermione bit her lip in anticipation, laying her hand on top of Severus's head. They turned their gaze again as the unmistakable strains of "Hey Jude" filled the little shop.

After the first few bars, George looked up from the strings to see his audience, but he kept playing. When the time came, Hermione started singing along to the second verse as she ran her fingers through Severus's ebony hair.

"_Hey, Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain; don't carry the world upon your shoulder. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder._

"_Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na._

"_Hey, Jude, don't let me down. You have found her; now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart; then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in; hey, Jude, begin. You're waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that it's just you? Hey, Jude, you'll do. The movement you need is on your shoulder._

"_Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na._

"_Hey, Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her under your skin; then you begin to make it better._"

Unconsciously, Severus had edged into the room while George played and Hermione sang. When the older man stopped playing, Severus was kneeling in front of him and watching the man's fingerings with fascination. Smiling at the enthusiasm on Severus's face, George stood, grabbed another chair, and had Severus sit down. He then took out a chair for Hermione as well, and sat the three of them in a triangle. As George reached for a mid-sized acoustic guitar, he asked, "What's your name, my boy?"

Severus sat up straight and said, "Severus, sir." Hermione smiled at hearing the title from her potions professor's mouth.

"Hmmm. Well, Severus, how would you like to learn to play?"

A blind man could have seen how eager and gobsmacked Severus was by the question. "Please, sir! I'd love nothing more!"

Chuckling, the man gave the guitar to Severus and began to teach him the basics of the fingerings on the guitar. Severus already knew how to read music—his father had insisted that he attend church, and singing the hymns had always come naturally to him even if he didn't care for his singing voice.

Hermione sat in happy fascination as George spent three hours teaching Severus how to play the guitar. The boy was an incredibly fast learner, and the man repeated often that Severus seemed born to play. By the end of the lesson, Severus could play the melody line and the actual guitar part for "Blackbird," and he could even play it without mistakes while Hermione sang—though that made it much more difficult because he was so tempted to simply listen to her sing.

By the time the lesson was over, it was almost six o'clock in the evening, and Hermione insisted that they had to leave. She sent Severus out to look at the records for a moment, saying she wanted to speak to George before they left.

She took a deep breath before saying, "George, how much for that guitar?"

The man smiled widely. "You family to that little boy?"

Smiling ruefully, Hermione said, "No. Just the babysitter. And, hopefully, a very good friend some day."

George nodded knowingly. "His parents probably can't afford to buy—nor approve of him owning—a guitar, I take it?" At her hesitant nod, George sighed loudly. "I can understand not fostering talent like that for financial reasons—heaven knows everybody's got troubles—but to ignore a gift like that….Nothing justifies that in my mind." He looked at Hermione in contemplation for a few moments. "If I give you that guitar for half price, will you make certain he keeps up his music, and keep that instrument away from his parents?"

Hermione, utterly shocked, said, "I would never let anything happen to that guitar or his talent and love for music. That I can promise you."

Nodding, George said, "Then for you, my dear, it's a gift."

Hermione was shocked at the man's kindness, and she tried to insist on paying the man, but he was adamant—a gift like that had to be nurtured, and he had always fancied himself a patron of the arts. George handed over the guitar that Severus had practiced on, and the pair walked out of the back room, Hermione attempting to hide the instrument behind her back. Logically, she knew that anyone would be able to see it, but she wanted it to be as much of a surprise as possible.

"Severus, I have a surprise for you." He turned with a dejected look on his face, but upon seeing what Hermione had behind her, his face split into a stunning grin. He ran up to his friend, laughing loudly, and clung to her waist.

"Thank you, Hermione! Oh, this is the _coolest_ present _ever_! I'll never be able to pay you back! This is _**awesome**_!"

Hermione laughed with him. George suggested a case, and Hermione paid for that and three pieces of sheet music that Severus picked out—"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles, and "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees. This time, Hermione didn't let George talk her into taking the things for free. Hermione and Severus left George with a promise to come back and visit, and then they made their way to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner.

They didn't sit long in the restaurant. They both ate quickly, hoping to get home and enjoy messing around with the new guitar as much as possible before going to bed. Hermione knew that she and Severus needed to find a way to hide it from his parents. Even if they would have let him have it, they would still question where it had come from and how he had gotten it.

* * *

"Severus, you really are a natural," Hermione said, awestruck, when he was able to play the first few bars of the Stones' "Paint it Black" just from listening to it on the radio. "I'm so glad I got that for you."

Smiling gratefully, Severus said, "Thanks, Hermione. For buying it for me, and for the compliment. I…now I have something to look forward to when I'm in the house alone." His smile turned a little rueful at that, and then he turned his gaze back to the guitar.

"Speaking of which," she responded, trying to change the subject, "where and how are we going to hide that thing? You're parents can't find out about it."

"Jeanie."

Puzzled, Hermione said, "What?"

Chuckling, Severus said, "You called her 'that thing.' I'm naming her 'Jeanie.'"

Hermione smiled knowingly and said, "That wouldn't have anything to do with my middle name, would it?"

Shrugging unashamedly, he responded, "Well, you did give it to me. I think it's only fair." Hermione nodded, allowing that. "Anyway, about where to hide her…I think we'll need to use magic. My father wouldn't know what to look for, and he knows I can't do real magic yet anyway. And my mother hasn't used her wand in ages, so I doubt she'd notice that there was something hidden in my room."

"I thought of that," Hermione sighed. "I didn't really want to risk it, but I can't think of any alternative." She gave a few minutes thought, while pacing the living room floor, to the various hiding places she had seen and known of over the years. Eventually she had a moment of inspiration, and she beckoned for Severus to follow her up to his bedroom.

On the way up the stairs, she asked him, "Do you have a trunk, Severus?" He answered in the affirmative, but she didn't elaborate.

When they reached his bedroom, Severus pulled his trunk—it had been his mother's when she was at Hogwarts—out of his closet. Hermione opened it up and immediately set to work.

Severus watched, fascinated, as Hermione extended the side of the trunk by magic. When the lid was open, you could see another eight feet or so of space through the right side of the trunk, even though the trunk itself didn't expand. He couldn't see, but Hermione had made the extension as large as a full-sized, eight-by-fourteen foot room that he could stand in if he crawled through the space in the trunk's side. Severus asked in a voice full of awe, "How did you _do_ that?!"

When she had completed her spell, Hermione said simply, "Undetectable Extension Charm." She then set about putting a barrier where the side of his trunk had been before she extended it. When she was done, it looked as if the extension charm had never been put in place. Then she turned to Severus and asked, "What password do you want to put on the panel? It should be something that only you and I know about so that no one else can access the space."

"Can it be anything?" he asked. Hermione nodded, and he responded, "How about your birthday? No one would be able to guess that."

Hermione smiled and said, "Perfect! So the password is going to be 'September nineteenth.' Can you remember that?"

Severus smiled at his friend and said, "Easily."

Reaching into her beaded bag, Hermione said, "I'm going to put your new potions books in there, too, though you could probably risk taking those out on a regular day as long as your door is closed."

Nodding in agreement, Severus put his two new books in the hidden cubby and closed everything up.

* * *

At eleven that night, Hermione finally put her foot down. "We _both_ need to sleep, Severus. Me, because I don't know when the next time I'll get to sleep will be, and you, because you have to be awake and presentable when your parents get home tomorrow morning. Bath and then bed, young man!"

When Hermione had washed up and gotten into her pajamas, she made her way back to Severus's room. He was sitting on his bed, back against the headboard, with Jeanie on his lap. Hermione leaned onto the door jam and listened to him plucking out the chords to "Blackbird."

After a moment of simply smiling at her friend, Hermione said, "Alright, I get the hint. You play, I'll sing, and then we're going to sleep."

Severus smiled at her and said, "Deal." They sat side by side, him playing and her singing, and when the song was done, Severus put Jeanie back in her case. Hermione suggested he put her into his trunk while he was at it, just to be on the safe side, and he obliged. Then he hopped back in bed, and the two went to sleep in much the same fashion as the night before. Hermione had set her wand to wake her three hours before the Snapes were due home, which meant seven o'clock. She wouldn't get a full night's sleep, but it was better than nothing, she decided.

* * *

Severus sat bolt upright when a strange buzzing went off right next to his ear. Hermione woke up beside him, a little groggy, and said, "Don't worry, Severus, it's just my alarm."

Clutching his chest and trying to breathe deeply, Severus looked at the room curiously.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm? What is it, Severus?"

"How did I get on this side of the bed?"

Confused and still half asleep, Hermione sat up and looked at the boy next to her in bed….on the opposite side of the bed that he had been in when they went to sleep. "I…dunno. I guess we switched places in our sleep." Hermione tried not to think about her eight-year-old professor climbing over her in his sleep.

Severus felt very awkward, but he tried to hide it as he grabbed some clothes and went to the loo to get ready for the day. Hermione huffed and followed his example.

When Hermione got down to the kitchen, Severus had already started making scrambled eggs. He was barely tall enough to properly see what he had on the stove, and Hermione worried that he'd burn his arm. "Here, Severus, let me work on the eggs. Why don't you get out the plates and things and pour the juice?"

Smiling up at his friend, the little boy said, "Sure thing, Hermione!"

Severus's enthusiasm was contagious, and Hermione found herself smiling and humming along when Severus started whistling the tune of "Hey, Jude." She was so grateful that she'd been able to unearth Severus's talent for playing guitar. She had a feeling that music would be a source of great comfort to him through the years.

After breakfast, Severus looked at the clock. His parents were due home in a little over an hour. He huffed and said, "You have to leave soon, don't you?"

Smiling sadly, Hermione nodded. "I can clean the dishes with magic so that we can have more time to spend together, though."

Eyes lighting up a little more now, Severus nodded eagerly. Hermione smirked internally, wondering what happened to make Severus insist on cleaning the Muggle way in the future—she remembered all too well his preferred detention activity. When all of the dishes were cleaned and put away, Hermione and Severus went back up to his bedroom. They sat on his bed and talked while Severus plucked idly at Jeanie's strings. He knew the instrument would have to be put away for an indeterminate amount of time once his parents were home, and he wanted to spend as much time with both of 'his girls' (as he was beginning to call them in his head) as possible.

When the five-minute warning went off, Hermione looked sadly at Severus. "You're going soon." It wasn't a question.

Hermione nodded, reaching up to push back a few stray hairs that were threatening to hang in his eyes. A sound outside the window alerted the pair to the Snapes' return, so Severus went to the trunk and hid Jeanie away. "I'll see you soon, girl." Hermione smiled at his loving nature. She had somehow always known it had been there, hidden deep within.

Standing from the bed, Hermione beckoned Severus over for a hug full of emotion. They held tightly until the ring began to pulse. "It's time, Severus."

Sniffling and trying to hide his tears, Severus let go. Hermione pulled the Invisibility Cloak around her so that only her head showed. With about ten seconds to spare, she bent down and kissed Severus tenderly on the forehead before quickly pulling the hood of the Cloak over her head. "See you soon, Severus," was the last thing he heard before he knew she was gone.

Severus wiped at his face to hide the evidence of his crying before he headed down the stairs to greet his parents.

* * *

**The lyrics here are from "Elenore" by the Turtles and "Hey, Jude" by the Beatles.**

**I'd like to get to a Christmas chapter before Tuesday, but if not, then I wish you all a very merry Christmas! :D**


	6. Ch 5: 7 July 1968

**Happy New Year! I hope it's a good one for all of us! :D**

* * *

Hermione was starting to hate not knowing when she would end up after every departure. And her separation from Severus just then had been emotional—he'd had who-knew how long to compose himself, but Hermione arrived in the new "present" with tears still running down her cheeks. She probably looked ridiculous! Hermione had landed once more in the Snapes' living room, and she could see Severus playing with the radio in the corner. Now curious about the date, Hermione checked the calendar on the wall. Assuming that someone had kept up with crossing out the days, it would be July seventh—not even two full weeks since her previous visit.

She only had a few seconds to contemplate this, though. Before Hermione could take off the Cloak (which was lucky), Tobias Snape came crashing through the front door and into the entryway.

The man was quite obviously wasted. He held a nearly-empty bottle of vodka in one hand and his house keys in the other. How he'd had the coordination to unlock the door, Hermione couldn't fathom.

Severus looked toward the sound with a pale and frightened face before he turned back and switched off the radio, scuttling over to the couch to make it appear as if he'd been there reading the newspaper all along.

Sensing his need for comfort, Hermione walked up to him—still invisible—and said, "I'm here, Severus. Don't be afraid. I'll do whatever I can to protect you."

The boy had startled somewhat when he first heard Hermione speaking to him, but he relaxed as soon as he realized who was with him. He squared his shoulders and waited for his father to enter the room. Severus couldn't see Hermione, but he could almost sense her presence in the room, so he wasn't nearly as afraid has he had been when his father first burst through the door.

Hermione waited for Tobias to stumble into the room before she moved off behind him. If she needed to do any spellwork on him, she would need to be where he couldn't see her.

"What ing zhe blu-y 'ell er you shtill doin' dow' 'ere?" Hermione winced at the decibel at which the man was speaking. It was obvious that he could still mentally form a coherent sentence even if he couldn't speak it quite as well. Hermione had been afraid that the man would be an angry and violent drunk, and it seemed her fears were spot-on, as he was waving the glass vodka bottle in the air, dangerously close to knocking himself out with it.

_That might even be a good thing,_ Hermione thought. In case he didn't follow through, Hermione decided to wait for a moment that would be reasonable for the man to pass out or stumble, planning on using spells and stealth to save her young charge from the otherwise-inevitable beating.

Severus tensed but didn't recoil, and Hermione felt a rush of pride for the boy. He raised his chin and said, "I'm reading, sir."

With a monstrous snarl, Tobias threw the almost-empty bottle into the fireplace, where the glass shattered, flying in all directions. Hermione cast an invisible Shield charm over Severus to keep the glass from cutting him, though it seemed as if the glass hadn't gone far enough to threaten him anyway. Hermione admired the way Severus managed to not even flinch at the exploding glass, though she tried not to think about how much practice he had at hiding his fear in front of this man.

"Yur goin' ta git op ta yur bad righ' naw, er im goin' ta stra-gle an' beht yur arse!" In any other situation, Hermione may have found it funny that the only word he managed to say completely correctly was the profane one.

Bravely, Severus said, "Tomorrow is Saturday, sir, and I'm not tired. Why do I have to go to bed?"

"CAWS I SED SO!" Tobias screamed, moving toward his son with clenched fists. Hermione seized her opportunity and tripped the man. He crashed to the floor, moaning miserably and muttering incoherently. Hermione decided it was plausible that he'd pass out from falling so hard, so she sent a Stunner at him and pulled off the Cloak.

"Severus," she said, "is your mother home?"

Quivering slightly and looking at his father apprehensively, as if expecting him to pop back up any second, Severus said, "No. She's visiting my Aunt Marianne, Father's sister." Then he faced Hermione, looking at her for barely a full second before launching himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her stomach, sobbing dryly. Hermione wrapped her arms around the boy's shoulders and rubbed his back, soothing him with her hands and with quietly-murmured, meaningless words. When Severus had pulled himself together, he looked up at Hermione without relinquishing his hold. "Will you stay with me tonight, Hermione?"

Smiling and smoothing back his hair, Hermione said, "Of course, Severus."

The pair went upstairs together and Hermione waited for Severus to get ready for bed. When he came back to his room, Hermione put locking charms, silencing spells, and proximity alarm wards on the door. Severus pulled Jeanie's case out of the trunk in his closet, bringing the guitar up to bed with him. He didn't take her out of the case, but he wanted to have the guitar out of her hiding spot since he had Hermione there, as well. They both provided comfort and a feeling of security that he'd never felt at any other time in his life.

Hermione smiled as Severus settled down between her and the guitar that she had given him. Severus turned to Hermione and snuggled against her, asking, "Hermione, will you sing me a lullaby? A new one?"

"Sure, love." She took a moment to consider what song to choose before she began to softly sing.

"_Well, it's been building up inside of me for, oh, I don't know how long. I don't know why, but I keep thinking something's bound to go wrong. But she looks in my eyes and makes me realize, and she says: 'Don't worry, baby. Everything will turn out alright. Don't worry, baby…'_

"_I guess I should've kept my mouth shut when I start to brag about my car. But I can't back down now, because I pushed the other guys too far. She makes me come alive and makes me wanna drive when she says, 'Don't worry, baby. Everything will turn out alright. Don't worry, baby…'_

"_She told me, 'Baby, when you race today, just take along my love with you. And if you knew how much I love you, baby, nothing could go wrong with you.' Oh, what she does to me when she makes love to me! And she says, 'Don't worry, baby. Everything will turn out alright. Don't worry, baby. Everything will turn out alright. Don't worry, baby…'"_

Severus fell asleep shortly after Hermione finished singing, his raven head nuzzled between Hermione's neck and left shoulder, his little arms and legs pulled into his body in a protective gesture. Hermione was grateful that she had been there that night. She was truly afraid that, if she hadn't been, Severus would not have been alive when the sun came back up. Still tired from minimal sleep on her last visit, Hermione drifted in and out of slumber through the night, constantly checking on Severus to make sure that his sleep was still nightmare-free. They both woke early, feeling incredibly well-rested.

Severus reluctantly put Jeanie away in the hidden compartment while Hermione removed the charms she'd placed on the bedroom door the previous night. "Stay here, Severus, while I check on your father. I'll be right back." She donned the Invisibility Cloak while waiting for Severus's agreement.

The boy nodded and sat himself down on the bed, waiting on pins and needles for his friend to come back upstairs and give him a report.

Tobias was still passed out on the floor, but now there was a blanket laying over him. Hermione guessed that Eileen had come home, found her husband passed out on the floor, and decided to make him more comfortable—probably avoiding a beating in the process.

The man was snoring now, indicating to Hermione that the magic had worn off and that now he was merely asleep. She snuck back up the stairs soundlessly, returning to Severus's room and closing the door before taking off the Cloak.

"He's still asleep," she said softly. "I doubt he'll remember much of last night when he wakes, so I don't think you'll be in any particular trouble." Hermione smiled sadly at Severus and beckoned for him to come embrace her. They clung to each other again for a time before Hermione felt the warning from the ring. "Five minutes, love."

Nodding and refusing to allow himself to break down again, Severus said, "I'm glad you were here, Hermione. Thank you."

Hermione smoothed back his hair and said, "You act as if I'm making some great sacrifice by doing these things for you, Severus, but that's not true. I like spending time with you, and I'm happy that I can be here when you need me." Smiling softly, Hermione pressed another kiss to Severus's forehead. She didn't know what made her do that so often; it was like a compulsion. But Severus didn't seem to mind, so Hermione paid it little attention.

When the ring started its thirty second warning, Hermione said, "I'll see you soon, Severus."

Determinedly pushing back the tears pooling in his eyes, Severus said, "Yes, soon. Definitely." Hermione smiled and pulled the Cloak's hood over her head in just enough time to be hidden from view as the world swam around her.

* * *

**The lyrics are from "Don't Worry, Baby" by the Beach Boys.**


End file.
